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Bellum omnium contra omnes

Workers Under Attack

Been reading with some unease about the activities of the state house in Wisconsin. For those who haven’t been paying attention, the current Republican Governor and Republican legislature there has a bill poised to pass that would take away public employees rights to collectively bargain, to pay half of their own pensions when they haven’t had to before, and increase the amount they pay for their health care, stripping them of their union rights.

The Governor is saying this will get done to save money. Other states are cutting their budgets more, scaling back benefits and services, even raising taxes where that is necessary, all without attacking the basic rights of workers to bargain in good faith, and are making progress in fixing their economic problems. But that’s not good enough for Wisconsin. They have to steal thousands of dollars, not to mention freedom and rights, from teachers and nurses and the like.

The governor has also infamously said that he would call in the national guard if anything happened. It’s good to know that if a third grade teacher dares to raise her voice against the state of Wisconsin they will meet her raised voice with guns drawn. Good to see some leaders aren’t afraid to show their authoritarian tendencies.

With republicans it’s always about fear, rule and control, isn’t it?

This has nothing to do with budgetary concerns. This is an attack on unionization, plain and simple. Foolishness, but popular foolishness on the right, and since the right-wing has grown in power over the last two years, the amount of foolishness of this type has grown in epic fashion.

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The laboring classes constitute the main part of our population. They should be protected in their efforts peaceably to assert their rights when endangered by aggregated capital, and all statutes on this subject should recognize the care of the State for honest toil, and be framed with a view of improving the condition of the workingman.

Grover Cleveland

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If it really was about budgetary concerns, why is he stopping where he is stopping? The steps he is taking here WON’T COVER Wisconsin’s budgetary shortfall.

None of these people this is happening to are rich, none of these people have easy lives because they are union employees. They are prison guards, teachers. It will cost them, according to one story I read, thousands of dollars more per year for each of them. Would you accept that, if you had a viable choice?

Hell no, you wouldn’t.

Thousands dared the state to do something about it today, and protested, reports have the number at around 10,000 protesters. Nice.

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Viddy of the day: Ed Schultz Exposes Governor Scott Walker For Balancing The Budget On The Backs Of The Poor

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Boehner and the Republicans have said they would focus on jobs, and have not. Boehner has said the federal government has gained over 200,000 jobs since The President took power, and that is untrue, and he said he would not mind the loss of 200,000 jobs in government.

The weak-willed right-wing of this nation is focusing on jobs alright, if you work for the government or in a union, you are evil and they want you to suffer. That’s their focus on jobs.

That is the clear message that they are sending. Millions work for and in unions and the government, and a great many good and great jobs are being done by union and government workers, and the disdain which the republicans hold these workers shows the republican party’s disdain for the American worker, and for the concept of work in general.